For The Love of a Cowboy
by lauralovessirius
Summary: Bella Swan hated her life in Kentucky so as soon as she had the chance she left, now she's coming back with a rundown spirit. Who will be there to save her? Will she even want it? cannon pairings, all human
1. Chapter 1

okay so I know it's been forever since yall have heard anything from me and for that I'm so so sorry! I promised not only yall but myself that I wouldn't be one of those authors who just abandons her stories so that won't happen, but my dad has my computer with the stuff that has those stories written on it so I won't be able to finish them until I get that back which will hopefully be soon! lol For right now I have decided to start another story to keep yall busy until I get the other ones out and since both of my other stories have similar themes so will this one. It's one of my favorite kinds so whenever I get inspiration I run with it lol. ENJOY!

**Chapter 1**

It was a humid, muggy day in Campbellsville, Kentucky according to the weather forecast. The exact kind of day that I absolutely hated and one of the reasons why I had run so far in the first place. Now I'm sitting in the airport waiting to board the plane and regretting telling my father I would come back. Honestly though, I had been running for far too long. It was definitely time for a change of scenery and I had been putting this off for as long as I could.

Really it was my old friend Alice that finalized my decision to come back. My brother Emmett told me she was engaged and I wanted to see for myself. In high school Alice was what my grandmother would call a harlot. She jumped from one guy to another, but not for the reasons everyone thought. You see, Alice always had it in her head that there was a prince charming for everyone and why should she waste time with someone she knew she wasn't destined to be with? So once she would realize her guy of the week wasn't "the one" then she would go from him to the next willing participant in her own little dating game.

Now I love this girl, but she is a huge dreamer. Long ago I found that dreaming can only get you so far before you realize that's just what it is and will always be, a dream. I know for a fact there is no prince charming out there for me. Once upon a time, i may have given into Alice and started to hope, but then reality slapped me in the face and I stopped hoping and just decided to settle. Now, after settling, I find myself in JFK airport, a 25 year old divorced woman, no home, no job, and barely anything in my possession. He had burned all of my belongings besides a few clothes and keepsakes I was able to save.

Who is this "HE" I speak of? Well his name is Mike Newton and he owns a gigantic chain of Newton Outfitter stores. It's a family business his great grandfather started out from nothing and made into the great empire that it is today. If only Mike had some of the integrity and work ethic his great grandfather had. I met Mike when I started a job at one of the main chains as manager. I know i seemed naive and new to the working scene as I was only nineteen, but I had some experience with this store seeing as I worked at one in high school and he decided to hire me on the spot. Now at first I thought, 'hey this is going to be a piece of cake!' That was until Mike decided to make passes towards me. I had read the company guidelines very carefully and on every page there was something about a no fraternization policy. I had brought this up to him many times and his answer would always be the same, "I own the store, what do I care about the guidelines?" Well I thought about that and at first he seemed genuine and caring. I was obviously broken and thought he could see it, so after a few months of dating he asked me to marry him of course I said yes. I knew I was settling but at least he was successful, good looking, and kind. Or so I thought.

Well I had always wanted an intimate wedding with my father, brother, and of course the Cullens, who were practically family to me. I thought he would at least allow me to invite my father, but he told me family doesn't matter. All it does is complicate things and we don't need anyone there to validate our relationship, so we eloped and got married in Vegas. That should have been a red flag, but I brushed it aside forgetting. After we got married is when he started to show his true colors. He would drink excessively and had a nasty coccaine habit he couldn't seem to break. He loved to go out and party and sometimes he would bring home random women with him and make me sleep in the guest room. After a while I had moved all of my things there and all the women he brought home probably thought I was a sister. He never wore his wedding ring and he liked to wow women with his money.

One day I decided I wasn't going to take it anymore and decided to confront him. That was the first time he had hit me. After that everything hit rock bottom fast. Every time I would start to pack he would come in and threaten me saying I was a married, plain woman and who was I to think I could find better than him. In my eyes he was a pampered sheltered wuss, but he knew exactly what to say to make me second guess leaving him. He was a master manipulator and would do whatever it took to make sure he had an acceptable woman to hang off of his arm for the public eye.

After that we rarely talked, unless he decided he wanted to knock me around and then use me for his carnal pleasure. Those nights were the worst and the lowest points in my life. Then one night it all became too much. He had brought his friends home and as I walked by the room he called me in. There him and his friends James and Tyler decided they were going to have a little "fun" with me. They didn't sexually abuse me, but they beat me mercilously until I couldn't walk. They took a break to drink some more in the kitchen and that is when I took my chance. I called the cops and within ten minutes they were outside and arresting Mike and his friends. They were all trust fund babies, so they paid their ways out, but I had gotten what I needed and had a restraining order against all of them and was divorcing Mike. Since he had the brilliant idea to go to Vegas, he neglected to get a prenup and the one good thing about him is the two million in my bank account from the divorce.

That is how I find myself in my current situation. I feel like I need an escape, from the busy, bustling world I craved to the quiet tranquile one I ran from. It's sad, but it's the only place I know I can be alone and that by itself is amazing. I think I will buy a house down there, maybe on my father's land he has a couple for his old ranch hands, but I know for a fact that one is empty, Charlie told me himself. Alice doesn't know I'm coming of course and I'm hoping to surprise her. I am absolutely never telling her about the marriage I know she will kill me because she wasn't invited. Hmmm I wonder how Edw-

"Final boarding call for flight 405 to lexington airport!" the bored flight attendants voice comes over the intercom and I rush to get to the gate. That thought will just have to wait. Campbellsville here I come!

**AUTHORS NOTE!**

So what did you think of the beginning of my story? I know it's kind of slow but it should pick up soon. Don't worry about that! Also I don't know alot about Campbellsville, but I have an aunt that lives there and I know how remote where she lives is so that's why I decided to use this town. lol just leave me a review and tell me what you think good or bad! :) the next chapter should be up in a few days


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - for the love of a cowboy

Okay so I know I kind of posted the first chapter and disappeared off the face of the earth, but I just started college and I have alot of work to do...but I'm hoping I will be able to post more regularly for all three of my stories and as for God Love Her and The Goddess Of Elements I am already writing the next chapter for both of them so I'm hoping to get those out this week. Thanks for reading :)

*on the plane*

**(Dream Starts)**

A little five year old girl sits in her sunday dress on her daddy's horse fence watching them run bywith her best friend. Her brown, chocolatey hair, wild and curly down her back was so different from the tight, high ponytail her mother had slicked back. Her best friend was a different story. His faded blue jeans were ripped up and dirty, with his flannel button up tucked in. His filthy boots were scuffed and worn but also his most favorite pair of shoes. Last but not lease, his messy bronze hair was smashed underneath a black Stetson. The contrast between the two was uncanny, but they were two of the closest kids you have ever seen. Even with the boy being three years older they were together almost every day, laughing and joking, ignoring the other boys who would make fun of him for playing with the "baby". Even then the boy knew he was in love with the brown eyed girl next to him. He adored her and every time he looked at her his heart would melt.

"What do you wanna be when you grow up Eddie?" the beautiful girl asked as she looked up the gangly boy. For an eight year old he was unnaturally tall. She didn't even come up to his shoulders when they stood next to each other. He was the most beautiful boy she had ever seen, with his penny colored hair that stuck up every which way and his grass green eyes that always shined with mischief.

"Well Belliebear, I thought you knew I wanted to be a cowboy?" He said with confusion. He heard her snicker and he looked down at her as she smiled up at him. Every time she sent a smile his way it put a gigantic grin on his face.

"Well yeah silly, but that's not a real job! That can be a beginning one, and then you could be a doctor like your daddy." she dinished and looked up at him with a 'duh' look on her face.

"Maybe I wanna be a cowboy for the rest of my life! Your dad is." He pointed out with a smug look. Belliebear's dad was Eddie's hero. Everything he did, Eddie wanted to be just like him. Sure he had his own dad, but what's so exciting about being a doctor when you could run free, and do whatever you want. Plus, Carlisle Cullen was never home and if Eddie has kids like he wants, he never wants them to miss their daddy like he does his.

"Yeah but that's my daddy Edward, he's special." Edward felt his heart sink into his stomach. She didn't think he was special? He wanted her to think he was special so from that day on he decided he was going to show her he could do it and that he was just as special as her father.

"Well, other than being a cowboy I wanna have a beautiful wife and four or maybe five kids, I haven't decided yet. I want to get my own land right next to your daddy's and build a big white house with a swing on the porch and get my own animals. It's gonna be amazing!" He finished with a wide grin. "What do you think about that?" He asked.

"I think it sounds wonderful," she sighed. " I don't think I'm ever going to get married." Belliebear murmured, staring at the mud on her shoes as her eyes began to sting with tears.

Edward whipped his head toward her, "Why not Bella?" He inquired quietly. All of his ideas of marrying his Bella fading into nothing. He never gave it any thought that she might not want to get married.

"Nobody likes me Eddie! Tyler Crowley said I was an ugly crybaby and Lauren said I was stupid and that everyone hated me." she wailed. He gasped and his eyes turned black in anger and his face contorted with rage. His Bella is beautiful and sweet, who wouldn't like her?

"Don't listen to them Bellie." he insisted, "I think you are very pretty and I like you. Would you wanna marry me?" He asked eagerly. He was even prepared to give Alice all of his piggybank money to get the prettiest ring she had. Bella's big, brown doe eyes looked up at him with hope. He wanted to marry her? That was probably the best news she had heard in all of her five long years.

"You wanna marry me Edward? You think I'm pretty?" It was a dream come true to her, marrying her best friend would be great. Her little voice was filled with hope and it made him ecstatic to hear. She wanted to marry him! He nodded at her with joyful green eyes. "Okay then I will marry you Eddie Spaghetti!" she clapped excitedly. She knew he didn't enjoy that nickname, but he lets her call him anything she wants. He didn't seem to mind it so much, at the moment though as he beamed up at her.

"We are going to be together forever." he sighed blissfully.

**(Dream Ends)**

Bella jerked awake as the plane landed. She couldn't believe she had slept on a plane almost the whole way. Maybe she was drained from this divorce. She really needed this time off, she realized. As she walked off the plane she thought about the dream, well, memory. It had been so long since she had thought about Edward. When she got married her husband didn't want to hear anyhthing about her life before him. She was allowed barely and contact with her family so maybe this trip has a little to do with her ex, but it's just one way for her to get back at him.

After she got her luggage and walked out her face stretched into the largest grin she had had on her face in quite a while as she dropped her bags and ran into her father's arms. She was a daddy's girl through and through, and the fact that her dad insisted on driving to Lexington just to pick her up made her heart soar.

"Hey Baby Girl!" He hollered in his big southern drawl. "I've missed you so much and look at you! You look like a regualar city girl!" He smiled a big toothed grin as he stared at her. She smiled, of course he would notice that she had changed alot. Now instead of her long, curly hair it was up to the middle of her neck and straight. Her attire wasn't suited for the farm either, but she figured that she could go down to the general store before they left town and get some clothes in fair condition.

"Oh daddy I missed you so much!" I smiled at him, but I could see the pain in his eyes. The evidence of my meeting with 'mike's boys' still all over me. The almost faded bluish, purple tint around my eyes and the healing wound on my busted lip, were all too visible to my father and now that he could see them in person the situation was real. He looked down at my bruised hands and tears fell like a downpour down his wise face. He was trying to be strong for me, but I could tell that he wanted to break down so I hugged him. I felt him put his arms around me as gentle as he could in case I still hurt and that made me smile.

"Come on dad, let me grab my things." he said okay, but practically raced me to my bags so I wouldn't have to carry them. His eyes were still red, and he had stopped crying, but I knew I needed to wear long sleeves and jeans until I healed because I never wanted to see my dad cry because of me.

"Alright Bells, get in the car. We are going home! I have room for you in my house always, but if you want you can live in one of the ranch hand cabins. If it was up to me though, I would want you in my house." I loved when he showed any care towards me. Mom pretended that she cared, but most of the time she tried to control me. Her and dad couldn't be any more different then they already were. Where he was a kind, funny and loving man, Renee was a rude, manipulative, hateful shrew. I even liked her new husband better than I did her. Can you blame me though? She ruined not only my life, but took me from my father, and the Cullens. She rarely let me talk to my father, I would have to sneak phone calls. It had been ten years since I had seen my father and I was done being under the tyranny of my mother and husband. When I was done with my inner monologue we were already driving through the countryside.

"Almost there Bells, just an hour left, and then we will be home."-It was getting dark by the time that we pulled up to the ranch. "Welcome home baby!" he grinned, "Emmett is gonna be so ecstatic! He hasn't had this good a surprise since he found out Rosalie was going to have a little girl."

"What? She's pregnant? When did she find out she was pregnant?" He looked at me a little panic-stricken as we pulled into the pathway towards the house.

"Baby, she had little Erica two years ago. You have a neice waiting to meet you up at the house..." He slowly stopped talking as he practically watched steam come from my ears. I had a two year old niece? I have had a niece for two years, and no one has felt the need to inform me? No one even told me Rosalie was pregnant.

"What the hell dad? Why didn't anyone tell me? I would have left that asshole a lot earlier if I knew. Does she even know she has an aunt?"

"Of course she does sweetheart! She knows all about you. She's actually almost three." We pulled up to the house and there were already a couple cars out front. "So Emmett, Rosalie, and Erica are here as well as my" he gestured to the land beside his where a gigantic house resided. "neighbors. None of them know you are coming so it's kind of a surprise. Also Sue Clearwater and her children are here of course, as well as billy and Jacob. They know you are coming though so they are excited. Everyone is here to welcome you and I know you are overwhelmed, but we can deal with that together once everyone leaves okay?"

"I will try not to let it get to me. Who are your new neighbors?" I ask as we walk up to the door, leaving my stuff in the car. Dad opens the door and lets everyone know he's home by yelling for them to get into the living room right this instant. The first to run down here was Rosalie and I think Leah?

"We are coming Charlie..." Rose started looking behind her,"The boys are being immature and childish as usu..." She stopped as her jaw dropped when she saw me. All of the sudden she started screaming for Emmett to hurry and wake up Erica, and get her downstairs. Before Emmett came however, a little boy that couldn't be older than five or six bolted down the stairs laughing and yelling at his daddy to stop chasing him. Then a taller, more muscular man ran down after him as the little boy stopped in front of me with a skidding halt. When his dad stopped, he looked at me and his eyes widened. The boy was the spitting image of the man in front of me. That man was Edward Cullen.

AN: So this is the first time I have updated in a while, so feel honored readers of this story! I hope you enjoyed it so please, please, please review and let me know how you feel about it!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - For The Love Of A Cowboy

Please...Please don't hate me? It's all I can ask after just leaving you guys hanging this way :( For any of you still waiting for me to update, if there is any of you left, I am so so so so sorry! I don't know how many times I can say that to you guys lol. I didn't mean to just stop updating, I even had the next chapter hand written out I just never got around to putting it on here and I'm kind of upset about that fact. So I decided now was the time! Plus summer just started so I have more than enough time before I become a slave once again to school obligations! Please enjoy this next chapter! :)

The room was almost shockingly quiet as Edward and I stared each other down. Rose and Leah were still stunned into silence, but were now looking at my father questioningly. Taking in Edward's face I could still see the boy he was in his more masculine features, there were little, subtle changes though. His eyes were still the prettiest green eyes, but they had a haunted look in them. His hair was still crazy, but it was shorter and less of a haystack. I could see his eyes getting over the shock of seeing me after ten years, and as he started really taking me in, I knew he was seeing the swelling, cuts and bruises on my face and neck. His brow furrowed as he slowly walked my way and reached toward my face. Now I knew he wasn't Mike and wasn't about to hit me, but I still had anxiety from what happened and I flinched away from his out stretched hand. As I did I saw the pain and anger in his eyes grow even more, but he still brought his hand forward until it traced my sore features.

"What the hell did this to you sweet girl?" he whispered in a heartbroken tone as his eyes moistened. As soon as he finished his sentence my brother ran down the stairs yelling about assholes beating his ass. I looked at my father and chuckled at the irony of his statement as my father gave me a sad look. Emmett was still raving when he got downstairs about the video game he was beat at, but he stopped abruptly at the end of the stairs.

"Why is everyone being so God damned quiet?" I looked down at the beautiful little boy in front of me, sandwiched between me and his father. His innocent blue-green eyes looked up at me with the biggest grin on his face.

"I don't think that's very appropriate language in front of a little boy Emmybear" I admonished him. His head snapped in my direction and he looked like he was going to burst into tears.

"Is that my little Bellarina?" he asked and without waiting for an answer he ran towards me and grabbed me in a bone crushing hug that left me breathless.

"EMMETT! Dammit you big brute be careful!" my dad bellowed. Emmy jerked away from me immediately and gaped at our father after his uncharacteristic behavior. My father is the most softspoken man I have ever met, so for him to raise his voice above a dulcet tone would put the toughest men on edge. Dad softly pulled me towards him and checked for any open stitches or pain. Em took in all of this and got angrier and angrier.

"What the hell is going on here? What happened to you and why didn't I know about this?" I gently pulled away from dad, and with a strict glare at Emmett I squatted slowly down in front of this adorable little boy.

"Hi there", I smiled, "I'm Bella, what's your name?" He looked into my eyes and thrusted his tiny hand out at me to shake.

"Hi Bella! I'm Kyle! You're really pretty! What happened to your face?" I couldn't help it, I stared, I will admit I was at a total loss of what to tell this boy about what happened to me.

"Kyle", Edward started, "That is not polite! There is a little thing called tact buddy."

"No Edward it's okay." I said as I looked up at him. I looked back at Kyle and tried to put it into words a little boy could understand. "Well Kyle, I was attacked by wild animals. They looked kind of like people but acted like they were crazy animals." As I watched his eyes get wider and wider I heard a crash and figured Emmett through something across the room. Everyone in the room understood what had happened more or less after just that one simple sentence. I looked up at Edward and sure enough, saw anger, disgust, and agony in his emerald orbs.

"How in the world did you get away?" Kyle asked.

"Well I finally had a break from the animals, found my phone, and called the police. I got away and the police found a way to keep them from me forever." After I finished explaining what had happened the room was almost silent. The only thing that could be heard was Rose's shallow breathing as she cried into her shirt trying to hold it in. After I just couldn't handle listening to her sob anymore over my ridiculous problems I looked at my father, "So is anyone going to show me to my niece or what? In case you guys have forgotten I haven't ever seen her so...?" My father smiled and said he would go get her. In the meantime everyone just looked at me in awestruck belief. I really started to get anxious with the staring and I think Kyle could tell so he grabbed my hand and led me to the couch going on and on about his life. He mentioned his grandparents and I smiled.

As I got older and my parents fought more they were my backup parents. I would spend most of my days over there and it got so bad that if official people (school mostly) couldn't get a hold of my parents, they would call or pay a visit to the Cullens.

"I know who you are though!" Kyle exclaimed, "Grammy has pictures of you all over her house! Everyone there talks about you all the time." He finished his sentence with another charming grin, just like his father. Speaking of this father, Edward walked up behind me and asked his adorable son if he could give us a minute so daddy could speak to Bella. Kyle looked up at him and smiled winningly, "Sure daddy." he jumped up, gave me a big squeeze, and ran toward the stairs. I looked around and saw that everyone had dispersed to let me and Edward talk.

Edward took a deep breath as he stared at me with an unidentifiable emotion swimming in his stunning eyes. "So Bella," he started, "Are you going to tell me who did this to you?"

"No, I'm not and you wanna know why?" He nodded, "Because I don't want my homecoming to be filled with sadness and anger. I just want to be happy that I'm home with my family, so can this conversation wait until I have at the very least settled in?"

He nodded understanding that I'm just not that comfortable at the moment, "Yes of course it can wait. I just didn't want the first time I saw you again to go quite this way." he said sadly. "However, make no mistake Isabella, we WILL be talking about this." he smiled smugly and stood up as my father made his way towards the couch with a beautiful dark haired stunner in the shape of a little girl that I was almost positive was my niece.


End file.
